Power Play Book

For many readers, Joseph Finder’s Paranoia was a breakthrough book. At a stroke (and after several earlier books), Finder became a must-read thriller author, even though he did not subsequently make the commercial breakthrough that many a lesser talent has – with lesser books. Power Play shows that (as Finder aficionados know) the author has not been idle – each new book by him shows a refining of his style and skill. And if this latest novel does not quite match the exhilaration afforded by Paranoia, it’s still a pretty persuasive piece of work – with ironclad plotting. The theme here is corporate kidnapping. Finder’s protagonist, Landry, a talented aircraft engineer, finds himself invited to a corporate conference with his bosses. He’s ill-at-ease, condescended to by his high-flying colleagues – and even more discomforted when he finds an ex-lover – now a corporate high-flyer herself with the company -- is behind the invitation. But then an audacious, violent kidnapping of the entire group takes place. The body count rises, and Landry begins to look like everyone’s best hope for survival, while his more high-profile colleagues demonstrate less finely-honed survival instincts. To say that the tension is orchestrated here with a master’s touch understates the case. Cliché it may be – but it has to be said: you won't be able to put this one down. It’s beginning to look like just a matter of time before Joseph Finder assumes his justified place in the upper echelons of thriller practitioners. --Barry ForshawRead More